Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I thank the Cathaoirleach for choosing my Commencement matter this morning. The Minister of State is around the same go as myself, age wise, and I have no doubt he remembers that we used to return to school on 1 September every single year. When you got your summer holidays, you knew you were coming back on 1 September. That was the case up to fairly recently - maybe 12 or 13 years ago. I think it makes great sense that people know when they are getting their holidays that they will be returning on 1 September. I think it makes it easier for planning schedules, staff, special needs assistants, SNAs, etc.

There is a big thing affected by schools opening early. As for what I mean by "early", it started with schools being called back at the end of August but it is now very often the middle of August when they return. People just do not return on a whim; obviously, there is a lot of preparation and a lot of psyching up for students, etc. In essence, by it not being 1 September, August is, more or less, ruled out. This is having a detrimental effect, especially on tourism areas. I come from an area with a very high dependency on tourism, and speaking to people involved in the industry, they say that August is now a write-off. That is an awful pity. They are now very dependent on the month of July, which is obviously not enough for them to make a living.

I know it is up to each school and that every school has to clock in the same number of days but I would like the Department to look at this and bring it back in order that unless it is a Saturday or a Sunday, every school returns on 1 September. If it is a Saturday or Sunday, it should go to the Monday. This is just so the tourism industry can be looked after and schools can plan better.

The Aire Stáit might get the all-Ireland back in September as well.

I am not sure setting the date for the all-Ireland is something I can do. I thank Senator Murphy O'Mahony for the question and the issues she has raised. One thing we always looked forward to was when the Saturday or Sunday was 1 September; we actually thought we were gaining. I remember one particular September when 1 September was a Thursday, and I had banked that they would not bring us back until the following Monday. I remember my mother coming from first mass and saying that she had great news: the school is opening on Thursday. It is indelibly inked in my brain; we were gambling on an extra few days.

On 1 September being the date, l will outline for the House the issues on returning to school from our Department's point of view. Every three years, the scheduling of school holiday periods during the school year is reviewed and agreed at the Teachers Conciliation Council. The purpose of standardising the breaks at Christmas, Easter and mid-term is to avoid problems for families caused by variations in closure arrangements where children are attending different schools. A number of factors are taken into account in agreeing on the scheduling of school holiday periods, including the fact that schools must be open for a minimum of 166 days at the post-primary level and 182 days at the primary level, as well as the commencement date of the State examinations. The arrangements in relation to the standardising of the school year do not require that the start of the school year be standardised. Individual schools may, therefore, determine the precise start and end of the school year, subject to ensuring that requirements are met in respect of the minimum number of days per school.

The expectation is that the school would normally commence in the week in which 1 September falls. However, schools may commence a week prior to that in which 1 September falls where it would otherwise not be practical for the school to meet the overall requirement of a minimum of 166 days at post-primary and 182 days at primary level. In such cases, the school should ensure that the date of commencement is as close as possible to 1 September. In this regard, schools provide a calendar for parents at the beginning of the school year, which includes details of the school holiday dates.

The last review of the school holiday period took place earlier this year, when an agreement was reached between the managerial authorities of the schools, the teachers' unions, the Department of Education and Youth and the Department of public expenditure under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council. The current arrangements are set out in Circular 18/2026. This circular covers the three school years from 2026-27 to 2028-29, and commits the parties at the Teachers Conciliation Council to review the current arrangements in the autumn of 2028.

To take the Senator's point, the managerial bodies and the education partners will come together to review it. I know that the post-primary schools started a little bit later this year because the State examinations - the leaving certificate and junior certificate - started the first Wednesday of June. That was later this year because of the way 1 June came and this gave a start date later into August. However, sometimes the first Wednesday in June could be very early in June, depending on the way the week falls, and that would then push it back earlier in August.

The school holiday experience for children and families is very important for the kids. The Senator mentioned the hospitality industry, which is another factor to take into account. I think it is vitally important that we keep 1 September as that date. I certainly will bring the points the Senator made into the next review and to the attention of those right across the Department. My opinion is that we should have it as close as possible to 1 September.

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I acknowledge that the review was done and agreed to but again, going back to what I said, I think 1 September is ideal not only for the children and the school but also for the local economy from where the children come.

There have been a lot of changes to the school year. There was a standardisation of the holidays at Easter and Christmas and for the breaks in November and February. It is one important piece that we have to look at in the round. The schools do not just operate as an educational institution. Children going to school is a vital fabric of our national story. That all blends into the hospitality industry as well when kids are off and so forth. It is important. The point the Senator was making at the early part of her contribution is that a lot of parents are getting themselves ready to send the kids back to school in the month of August. The expenditure part in that regard is not lost on me. The fundamental point is that we need to allow the holidays to be as long as possible and that 1 September is one of those dates. The review has happened to date but the point the Senator has made is not lost on me. It will certainly be documented for any further consideration of that at Department level with the education partners and it will form part of that discussion.